Divided by a Wall: A Bleach story about the Berlin Wall
by Mr. Anaconda
Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki is a Japanese-German high school student living in West Berlin in 1987. He meets and becomes close friends with Rukia Kuchiki, a East Berlin girl who escaped from her side. Ichigo promises to protect her from anyone who tries to send her back.
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: Hello everyone! I'm a little bit late with my timing on releasing this story. (I wanted to publish this on the 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall). Although, it's still good. The story is about a 15 year old named Ichigo who lives in West Berlin in 1987. He meets and becomes close friends with a girl named Rukia, who escaped from the east. Rukia's older brother (a military captain) is determined to bring her back, even if it means killing the ones she loves. So in other words, this story is pretty much Bleach in divided Germany. Enjoy!

**Divided by a Wall**

**Chapter 1: 1987**

Ichigo Kurasaki.

Age: 15

Hair: Orange

Occupation: High School student

Ichigo Kurasaki was walking through the quiet streets of West Berlin. He could hear the leaves blowing and the faint sound of little children playing. It was Autumn, and he had just finished another day at the _Realschule _high school. He was one of the few japanese-german students in the school, moving to Germany because of his father's success as a doctor. Ichigo and his father moved when he was only two years old.

"Just another day in the life of Ichigo Kurasaki." Ichigo said to himself as he sat down on an old graffitied park pench. The Berlin Wall stood ahead, blocking his view of what was on the other side. "Man, I think my school sucks, I wonder what school is like in the east."

Ichigo opened up his backpack and grabbed a textbook and some homework. He went to this place every day after school. The old, abandoned playground let him sink deep into his thoughts. It was also much more quiet than at home.

"Hi Ichigo!" A voice says. Ichigo turned around and looks up at Orihime Inoue, another Japanese-german student.

"Hey Orihime, how's it going?" Ichigo slides down the bench and Orihime sits down.

"Good! I'm doing just fine!" She replies.

Ichigo smiles and opens up his textbook again. Orihime looks at the book.

"Ichigo, why do you always come here? I mean, this place seems like... Umm... Just not very... Comfortable. Especially in this weather."

Ichigo looks up at the wall.

"I don't know, I guess I come here for a couple of reasons. The main being how quiet it is compared to my house." He pauses for a second. "And I also like to imagine this park being united, along with the rest of Germany."

Orihime nods.

_Two miles away, in East Germany_

Name: Rukia Kuchiki

Age: 15

Hair: Black

Occupation: Homeless wanderer, run-away

"Are you ready, Rukia?" Renji Abarai asked.

"Of course I am, it was my idea to go tonight. Remember?" Rukia Kuchiki responded.

Renji grinned. "Good, because if we get shot at, I'm using you as a sheild."

"Ha ha, very funny." Rukia, who was clearly not amused, replied.

"Alright, I'll be serious now." Renji peeked out from corner of the building they were hiding behind. "If we can get past the traps and the fence, we should make it over easily. There is no watchtower in sight, but we could accidentally alert one if we mess up."

Rukia nods and smiles at her friend. "Alright, but you're the one going first."

"Wha- why me?"

"Because you seem so confident. Plus I'm the lady here."

Renji swears under his breath. "I guess there's no point in arguing with you." He took one final look around. "Here I go. Follow me."

The two of them slowly crawl beneath a small gap in the bottom of the fence. "Watch out for the spikes on the ground." Renji whispered. He and Rukia had previously made very thick modified shoes out of blocks of wood to get across the spikes. They slowly walk across the lawn of death, _Stalin's Lawn, _and remove the wood blocks from their feet once they finished.

"Alright, we just need to climb the wall"

They both climb over some small tank barricades and begin to walk. Suddenly, Renji falls. Rukia runs over to him.

"Rukia, watch out! Damn tripwire, they found us. Run!" Renji exclaimed. He is still laying on the ground.

"No! I'm not going over there without you."

Renji grabs Rukia's arm and pulls her close to him. "Dammit, go now! I think I sprained my ankle. I'll try to get across too, but for right now you need to move ahead of me."

Rukia, with tears in her eyes nodded and began to sprint to the wall. This was no longer a stealth escape, this was a race... And she was leaving her best friend behind.

"Come on Renji, you _have _to make it. Please Renji." Rukia thought to herself. She had made it to the Berlin Wall. She looked back and saw Renji about twenty five yards away, struggling to get up. "I can't leave him." Rukia ran back over to Renji.

"Rukia, why the hell did you..." Renji began.

"Just shut up, I wouldn't leave you behind to die."

"Like I said, I guess there is no point in arguing with you, Rukia." Renji put his arm around Rukia's shoulder, and together they begin to slowly limp to the wall.

A gunshot is suddenly heard in the distance, and five East German soldiers are running to them. Rukia and Renji make it to the wall. The german soldiers begin to fire their guns. Bullets fly past Rukia's face.

"Get on my shoulders! I'll help you get up." Renji instructed. Rukia got on his shoulders, and he lifted her up. She grabbed the top of the wall and pulled herself up. Renji, who is clearly in pain, fell to the ground.

"C'mon Renji, give me your hand!" Rukia screamed. Renji tried to get up, but a bullet hit his back and he fell motionless to the ground.

_10 miles away, 2 hours later..._

Name: Byakuya Kuchiki

Age: 24

Hair: Black

Occupation: Wealthy, yet powerful East German military captain

Byakuya Kuchiki sat at his desk, working on some paperwork. The golden lamp let out a dim light, the ancient katanas above his fireplace casted long shadows across the room. Just how he liked it. Despite being young, he had come from a family of powerful aristocrats and war generals. His family was known around the world.

"Sir, I... Have some bad news."

Byakuya looked up at his butler in the doorway. "I thought I said I was not to be disturbed."

"My apologizes sir, but it's very important. Your daughter... I mean sister... Was found."

Byakuya stood up and walked over to the butler. "What!? My sister has been found?" His sister Rukia was supposed to be his successor, until she was kidnapped a year ago. "How is this bad news? Where is she?"

The butler shifted uneasily. "You see... She wasn't kidnapped... She ran away."

The military captain stared at his butler. "What do you mean by that? How would the guards know?"

"Because... She climbed the wall and escaped."

To be continued in chapter 2...

Author's note: Well, how did you like it? The next chapter is coming soon.


	2. The New Girl

**Chapter 2: The New Girl**

_Three days later. West Belin, Kurosaki Clinic_

"Ichigo, your friends are here waiting for you."

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and sat up. "Huh... Oh, hey Yuzu."

Ichigo's little sister smiled. "Also, breakfast is ready downstairs!" She walked out of the room.

Ichigo looked out the window and waved at Yasutora Sado, Keigo Asano, and Mizuiro Kojima.

"Ichigo, what's taking so long? We've been waiting for ten minutes!" Keigo shouted.

"Sorry guys, you can go on without me. I'll catch up."

Mizuiro smiled. "That's okay, we can wait."

Ichigo changed and walked downstairs. He quickly ate breakfast, grabbed his backpack, and walked out the door.

"Ichigo, did you see that new American movie RoboCop? It was awesome. The action scenes were so cool." Keigo is jumping up and down, obviously excited about the movie.

"No, not yet. I've been helping a lot in the clinic lately." Ichigo explained. It was true, he had been helping in the clinic a lot, but he also wanted to get Keigo to shut up before he started ranting about other movies or manga.

"Oh, that sucks. It's a pretty good movie, right Mizuiro?" Keigo asked.

"It was okay."

Keigo looked stunned. "What! That's it, just okay!?"

Mizuiro shrugged. "I mean, it wasn't terrible. Just not my type of movie."

Ichigo smiled as they walked together to school. They may be annoying, but they were also his best friends. He had met Mizuiro in the fourth grade. Mizuiro was the only one who would talk to him. Back then, Ichigo had been quiet and anti-social because of an incident a few months earlier. Mizuiro helped him get through his time of depression, and caused him to open up again. He had met Keigo two years ago. Keigo was getting bullied by a local gang. One day the gang trapped him behind a building and began to beat him, looking for his money. Ichigo saw this and called the cops. He then began to attack the gang, taking down three surprised members before the two remaining gangsters pinned him down. Keigo, who was completely forgotten, pushed them off him and began to attack one. By the time the cops arrived, the gang members were laying unconscious on the ground. Ichigo and Keigo were friends ever since.

"What about you Chad? How was your weekend." Ichigo asked Yasutora.

"...Good." Chad responded.

Ichigo nodded. Chad was a man of a few words. Correction, he was a _giant _of a few words. He stood at around six foot five and was built like a tank. Ichigo didn't know much about him, he had only met him last year.

When they got to the school, Ichigo walked up to his classroom. Despite being late this morning, the room was almost empty except for a few students reading or doing homework. He looked out the window at some new graffiti on the Berlin Wall. The wall had cut into the schoolyard when it was built. Apparently, the school had a huge field where students would run races on a track and teams would play soccer.

As Ichigo watched the students below walk into the school, he noticed someone out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over and saw a student standing there, reading a book. The student had long black hair, glasses, and was really skinny.

"Ishida." Ichigo growled. Uryū Ishida was the most annoying person in West Berlin, and the smartest in the school. He believed that East Germany was better than West Germany, and also claimed that if his grandfather (an important communist official) had not been assassinated, he would be living in East Berlin right now.

"I wish his grandfather wasn't killed either." Ichigo thought to himself. "Because I would have never met him."

_A few blocks away._

Rukia Kuchiki had not eaten anything after she climbed the wall. She couldn't even find any clean water aside from some drinking fountains in a park. The thought of Renji getting shot trying to help her escape did not help her either.

"Shouldn't you be in school, miss?"

Rukia turned around and saw a man wearing a suit and a weird striped hat. He was probably walking to work.

"I... I'm new here. I don't know where the school is." She told him.

The man smiled. "It's right over there. Just take a left at the end of this street and continue walking until you see a tall red and brown building. There should be a huge sign on the door."

"Thank you." Rukia replied. She began to walk away when the man suddenly called her back.

"Are you okay, miss? It looks like your limping, and covered in bruises." He looked suspicious.

Rukia didn't know what to do. "I just fell off my bike, that's all." Rukia lied.

"Oh. Well, if you need anything, I own a shop a few blocks down." The man said. "It's called 'Urahara Shōten'. I could give you some food and a bed."

"Okay, I'll go with you." Rukia had given in because he mentioned food.

They sat together at a japanese-style table. A huge muscular man brought them food, and two young children were fighting each other outside.

"Thanks Tessai." The man said.

The big guy smiled. "It was my pleasure sir, you know I love cooking steamed vegetables with rice and fish."

The man turned to Rukia. "I never asked what your name was. Do you mind telling me your name?"

"Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki."

The man picked up a cup of tea and took a sip. "My name is Kisuke Urahara. Nice to meet you, Rukia."

Rukia smiled and looked around the store. Everything was Japanese-themed. "Are you Japanese?" She asked.

"No, I'm German. The reason this is a japanese store is because I have an interest in the deep and mystic history of Japan. I love reading about the Samurai and other groups." He replied. "I also changed my name."

Rukia nodded. She was part Japanese, and a history freak too.

They ate in silence for the remainder of the meal. The two little kids joined them when the shop closed.

"Jinta, get a bed for our guest please." Kisuke told the boy.

"Mr. Urahara, actually I... I Decided to leave." Rukia quickly said. What was she thinking? She was turning down an offer to sleep in a warm bed.

"Oh, do you have a house nearby?"

"Yes." Rukia lied. Her mind was telling her "no", but she knew she had to leave sooner or later. She couldn't live here forever.

_5 hours later, West Berlin_

Ichigo couldn't fall asleep. Tonight was one of those nights where he felt like he needed to sleep, but knew he wasn't going to for a while. He decided that he might as well get some extra homework done. Ichigo sat down at his desk next to the open window and began to do some research papers for school. The street lights below cast shadows on the empty street. After an hour, Ichigo noticed a little girl standing motionless at the corner of the street. At first he thought he was just tired and was seeing things. It was cold outside and she was standing motionless. After five minutes, he decided that he WAS seeing things and decided to sleep.

Ichigo woke up surprisingly early the next morning. He didn't try to fall back asleep because he knew he wouldn't be getting back up. Instead, Ichigo walked to the old playground to kill some time. When he got there, he found a girl sleeping on the bench. It was the girl he saw from last night.

"Damn, I guess I wasn't dreaming." Ichigo thought. "I wonder if she is homeless or something." The weird thing was that he had never seen her before. Last night, she looked like a little girl. In the sunlight, she looked about his age.

"Should I wake her up, or leave her in the cold?" Ichigo thought. "I'll wake her. If she wants to sleep, she can sleep at the clinic." He noticed cuts and bruises on her. Maybe she got into a fight. Or was physically abused.

Ichigo placed his hand gently on her shoulder and shook her. She jolted awake.

"Huh!?" She quickly turned to Ichigo. "Who are you, and why did you wake me up?"

"Is she being serious?" Ichigo thought. "I woke you up because your sleeping on a wooden park bench in almost freezing weather, wearing only a sweatshirt."

"So? Why do you care what I do?" Her face was bright red from the cold, and her legs were shaking.

"Hmm, maybe because it looks like you have hypothermia." Ichigo said.

"Hypothermia?"

"Yeah. It's what happens if you stay in the cold too long. It could kill you." Ichigo knew that she probably didn't have a doctor as a parent, but he had learned about hypothermia in school.

"Look, why are you trying to help me?" She asked.

"Did you not just listen to what I said? You were sleeping in freezing temperature, and you could die." Ichigo responded. "I also saw you standing on the corner of my street last night. My dad is a doctor, he could help you."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm not interested." She turned her back and sat back down on the bench. "I appreciate you trying to help me, but I don't want you to help. I can handle myself."

"Whatever." Ichigo said. He turned and left.

When he got to school, Ichigo couldn't stop thinking about the girl. She was obviously homeless, but for how long? Why had he never seen her before?

"What if she escaped from East Berlin to West Berlin?" Ichigo wondered. "That explains why she wouldn't accept my help. She was scared that my dad would send her back."

As Ichigo was still thinking, the teacher walked into the room and began to teach the class about Germanic kingdoms. Ichigo raised his hand.

"Yes, Kurosaki?"

"I need to use the bathroom."

"Make it quick, Kurosaki." The teacher turned his attention back to teaching.

Ichigo walked out of class and snuck out the school doors. He ran to the old playground and saw the girl laying on the ground unconscious.

"Idiot." He said as he picked her up and carried her to his house. When he got there, a sign on the door read that the clinic would be closed until further notice. His dad also worked in the major Berlin Hospital. So in other words, his father wasn't home.

Ichigo placed her gently on a couch and put a couple blankets on her. He knew he shouldn't go back to school, so he sat down next to her and watched tv.

After about an hour, she opened her eyes and looked around.

"It's you again... Why did you take me here?"

"You were literally about to die. I came back and found you unconscious face-first on the ground." Ichigo told her.

The girl threw her arms around Ichigo and hugged him, tears rolling down her face. Ichigo was not expecting that kind of reaction.

"Umm... It's okay. Your not going to die now." Ichigo said.

The girl looked up at him. "It's not that... It's because your being so kind to me. You basically saved me, after I was rude to you."

Ichigo was even more stunned. "I wasn't about to let you die. You also weren't being rude to me. I guess it's my fault for waking you like that."

The girl stood up and walked over to the door.

"Hey, where do you think your going? Your not healthy enough to go back outside." Ichigo walked over to her.

"I'm fine, really. Thanks for everything." She smiled at him.

It was the perfect time to ask about the wall.

"Look, if you escaped from East Berlin, you don't need to hide it. I won't turn you in."

The girl stopped and slowly turned around. She looked scared.

Ichigo continued talking. "If that's the reason why you didn't want to come here, I totally understand. I promise I will not turn you in, or tell anyone."

She looked him in the eye. "Promise?"

"Promise."

The girl walked back to the couch and sat down. "What is your name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Mine is Rukia Kuchiki."


	3. Tear down this wall!

Author's_note: This chapter won't be as long as the last one, and will focus more on some minor characters. A new East German military captain will be introduced, plus some more insight on Uryū Ishida. (I spell it "Uryü" to sound more german)._

**Chapter 3: Tear down this wall!**

_West Berlin_

Name: Uryü Ishida

Age: 15

Hair: Black

Occupation: High School Student

Nobody at the school really noticed or cared that Ichigo Kurosaki had snuck out. That is, everyone except Uryü Ishida. After he noticed Ichigo hadn't returned when class was done, he decided to investigate. He always knew Ichigo hated him and communism. Uryü also knew that Ichigo seemed to be a juvenile hoodlum, the type who would spray-paint idiotic and repulsive graffiti on the Berlin Wall just to send a point across that no one understood but themselves.

The reason Uryü Ishida hated Ichigo Kurosaki? A possible answer to that question could be because Ichigo had gotten the whole school to hate him. It was two years ago, and he had just met Ichigo. He and Ichigo sat next to each other in class, and Ichigo would always talk to him. Just a friendly conversation between the two. One day, a talk about politics started an argument between them. The next day, everyone thought that he was a communist. He lost all his friends and his public image. He knew that Ichigo had told everyone. Ever since that day, he was bullied and hated, while Ichigo was the school hero.

Uryü laughed. Ichigo may have done that, but in reality that actually helped him. He was not really communist, he was just using that lie to cover up his true identity. His history with Ichigo was much deeper than Ichigo may have thought.

_East Berlin. _

Name: Kenpachi Zaraki

Age: 37

Hair: Black

Occupation: East German Military Captain/Clan leader/Assassin

The Zaraki clan was the most feared clan in both East and West Berlin. The clan consisted of around two hundred members, all of them highly trained in the martial arts. They were neither communist or democratic. They were anarchists and assassins. Their only goal was to kill, and not be caught.

The reason the clan wasn't hunted down or killed by East German police, was because their leader was a high-ranking military captain. His name was Kenpachi Zaraki, and he was the most feared criminal in all of Germany. Everybody knew that he was the leader of the Zaraki clan, but there was no physical proof that he was in it, even though it shared his name. Zaraki stood at 6 foot 7, and was bulging with muscle. He had spiky hair and was missing an eye. His body covered in huge scars and tattoos. Not only was he big and strong, but he was quick and agile. When he was younger, Zaraki had lived in Japan, Brazil, India, and The Soviet Union, learning various forms of martial arts and other fighting techniques. Zaraki and his clan got paid to kill, but he didn't do it for the money. He killed for enjoyment.

It was late afternoon, and Byakuya Kuchiki was walking through the streets of East Berlin. He turned down an alley and walked up to a metal door, almost hidden from view. Byakuya knocked on the door, and a pair of eyes appeared through a slit.

"Ah, hello Master Kuchiki. What brings you here?"

"I need to see Kenpachi." Byakuya replied.

"Very well." The door opened up, and Byakuya walked inside. The voice had been coming from Zaraki's butler. The butler took him up to Zaraki's room. Kenpachi turned around and smiled at Byakuya.

"Hello, Kuchiki. What's going on?" He asked.

"The President of the United States is coming tomorrow." Byakuya responded.

Zaraki grinned. "Want me to kill him?"

"No. I want you to find my sister, Rukia Kuchiki. I think she will be at the speech."

"It's about time. I've been wanting to kill that brat for years."

Byakuya frowned. "I never asked you to kill her. I want you to bring her back to me."

"Why would I waste my time doing that?" Zaraki was getting annoyed.

"Because I'll give you a huge reward." Byakuya said, showing him a briefcase filled with money.

"I don't give a damn about your money." Zaraki said angrily. "Ask one of my clan members instead."

Byakuya sighed. "Fine. Send some of your assassins to find her."

_West Berlin, a day later._

BEGIN DREAM:

Ichigo was walking through an old abandoned subway. The stone walls had cracks in it, and graffiti was everywhere.

"Is this the real life? Is this just a fantasy?"

Ichigo walked across the tracks and into an old lobby.

"Sent shivers down my spine."

He was eight years old, and the first person to explore this subway in a long time.

"Mama, ooh. I don't wanna die."

He sat down behind an old desk and pretended to hand out tickets. The sound of footsteps was heard from around the corner.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man."

A group of men with guns walked up to the desk. Their faces covered in strange masks.

"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me."

Ichigo heard sirens in the distance, and his mother screaming his name. The group of men looked at Ichigo and laughed. Ichigo began to scream.

"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me."

His mother runs into the room, but is quickly shot by the men.

A loud guitar solo jolted Ichigo awake. He looked across the room and sees Rukia playing "Bohemian Rhapsody" on his radio.

END DREAM.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo shouted

Rukia turned down the music. "What? I was just listening to music."

"When I'm sleeping!?"

She shrugged. "It wasn't that loud. I never had the chance to listen to this type of music before. Also, it's eleven o'clock in the morning, why are you still sleeping? I was up at five thirty."

"Dammit!" Ichigo thought. He grabbed a coat and put it on.

"Where are you going?" Rukia asked.

"The United States President Ronald Regan is giving a speech today."

Rukia ran over to her bed and grabbed a coat and scarf Ichigo had given her. It had been two days since he let her live with him. Ichigo had skipped school both those days, and now it was the weekend. His father had come back from the hospital yesterday, but had to leave again after a few hours. He treated Rukia's wounds, and said that she was the third daughter he always wanted.

As they walked to the Brandenburg Gate, Rukia noticed that Ichigo was acting strange. He was quiter than before, and seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah, I'm doing just fine."

Unknown to Rukia, was that today was the anniversary of his mother's death. Ichigo had been dreaming about it for the past couple days, but Rukia showing up had caused him to forget about it. Every year, Ichigo would visit the place his mother died at. He was hoping to quickly do it before the president's speech.

"Rukia, go on without me. I'll catch up later." Ichigo walked down into a subway station.

Rukia began to go after him, but stopped. "Umm... Okay?" She turned and walked away. Ichigo was acting even weirder.

Down in the station, Ichigo sat down behind a desk, the same one he had sat in 7 years earlier. Why had he been so stupid into going down here? Ichigo knew it was his fault. His mother had told him to never leave her side.

After a couple minutes, Ichigo stood up.

"I guess I shouldn't keep Rukia waiting." He thought. Ichigo was about to turn the corner when he heard a voice.

"So he said NOT to kill the President?"

"Yeah, we don't kill him. We only find the girl."

"Screw her. Do you know how much fame we would get if..."

"Yes, I know. We would be the most wanted gang in the U.S."

"Than why don't we kill him?"

"Kuchiki's orders."

"Since when was he our boss? We don't have to listen to him."

"Fine. Let's try to kill Regan."

Ichigo couldn't believe it. Two people were plotting a kidnap and an assassination. He had to stop them.

To be continued in the next chapter...


	4. The Strawberry and the Egg

_Authors note: This is a very short chapter, and it doesn't explain the backstory of a lot of new characters, but it has a lot of action and suspense. This chapter introduces the two Zaraki clan members sent to kidnap Rukia Kuchiki, as well as go further into the relationship between Ichigo and Uryü. _

**Chapter 3: The Strawberry and the Egg**

_Subway station (Zaraki clan hideout), West Berlin_

Name: Ikkaku Madarame

Age: 19

Hair: None

Occupation: Assassin

"Are you sure you want to assassinate Ronald Regan? Kenpachi will probably not be pleased." Yumichika Ayasegawa asked as he took off his mask to style his hair in a mirror.

Ikkaku Madarame stared at his partner. "Why the hell are you fixing your hair?"

Yumichika put his mask back on. "Well, unlike you, I'm beautiful."

"So? We are on a mission to find a girl, and I guess kill the president. This has nothing to do with your looks."

Yumichika laughed. "If you had good looks like me, you would understand."

"Whatever." Ikkaku grabbed his pistol and placed it in a bag. "Anyway, are you sure that you want to assassinate him."

"Of course I am."

"Good. I'll kill the president, and in the chaos of the crowd you grab the girl." Ikkaku did not care if Zaraki approved of his plan or not, he was looking forward to this. He had been fighting and traing for as long as he could remember. Zaraki found him at the age of five, living on the streets. The captain trained him, and raised him to be a ruthless warrior.

Ikkaku and Yumichika began to walk to the exit stairs. Suddenly, a teenager stepped in front of them. The teenager had orange hair.

_Subway station, West Berlin (Ichigo's POV)_

Ichigo stood across from two masked men. They both had guns.

"Move it, kid." The taller one said.

The other masked man tried walking around Ichigo, but Ichigo jumped and kicked him in the jaw. The man fell to the ground in pain.

Ichigo looked at the taller man. "I'm sorry for interrupting your little assassination attempt, but I'm afraid I overheard you two talking."

The masked man took off his mask, revealing a shiny bald head. "Ha! What makes you think that you can stop us." He pulled out a gun. "I think you've heard too much information to be kept alive."

Ichigo knew he had little time to think. He grabbed the bald guy's wrist and twisted it. The bald guy yelled in pain and dropped the gun, but swung at Ichigo with his other hand, knocking him down. The other man on the ground grabbed him, and the bald guy began to punch Ichigo repeatedly in the face.

"So you want to fight? Let's fight." He punched Ichigo's nose, and blood began to pour out. He began to laugh, but suddenly stopped. Ichigo looked behind him and saw a giant man standing there. It was Yasutora (Chad) Sado.

"Who the hell are you?" The bald guy walked over to Chad.

"My name is Yasutora Sado."

"Nice to meet you, Sado. My name is Ikkaku Madarame, and this is Yumichika." Ikkaku pointed at Ichigo. "You better run away, Sado. See that orange haired kid over there, that's what will happen to you."

Chad just stared at him.

"Are you retarted or something? I just told you to leave."

Chad continued to stare at him. "No."

Ikkaku tried jumping at him, but Chad pulled his fist back and hit Ikkaku right in his forehead. He fell to the ground unconscious."

Yumichika looked stunned. Ichigo took it to his advantage and broke free of his hold. Yumichika tried grabbing him again, but Ichigo kicked him again in the jaw.

"Ichigo, are you okay?" Chad asked as he helped him stand up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for helping me."

Chad looked at the two bodies. "Did you know them?"

"No. I overheard them talking about killing the president." Ichigo looked up at Chad. "Why were you here?"

"This is where I sleep sometimes." Chad responded. "I heard shouting, so I came to investigate."

"Oh." Ichigo had no idea Chad was homeless. "You could sleep at my clinic if you want."

"No, I'm fine sleeping outside. I've been doing it since I was young." Chad glanced at a clock on the wall. "Are you going to that speech?"

Ichigo had forgotten about the speech. He had already missed most of it, but he still wanted to hear some of it. "Yeah. Are you coming?"

"Yes, I'm coming. I'll catch up to you later."

_Brandenburg gate, West Berlin._

Rukia Kuchiki was not enjoying herself. She wasn't a big fan of speeches, no matter who gave it. To top it all off, she couldn't see anything either.

"Ichigo drags me out here, but ditches me?" Rukia started to walk away. "I appreciate everything he's done for me, but I can live on my own perfectly fine." She began to turn around and walk away, but noticed Ichigo coming. He was bloody, and his clothes were ripped up.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." He said when he got to her.

"What happened to you!?"

Ichigo rubbed his arm. "Two gang thugs attacked me."

"Are you okay? Why did they attack you? Who were they?"

Ichigo looked at the ground. "I'm okay, but I would have died if my friend Chad hadn't shown up." He scratched his head. "They attacked me because I tried to stop them from leaving. They were apparently attempting a kidnapping and assassination."

"Oh my god." Rukia looked stunned. "You fool, why would you try to stop them?"

"What was I supposed to do? Let them carry out the plan?"

"Well... No... But..."

Ichigo smirked. "Exactly." He walked over to the crowd. "I'm going to watch the rest of Regan's speech. Want to stay?"

Rukia stood speechless for a moment. "Are you CRAZY? You're covered in blood."

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so'? Do you not care how others think about you?"

Ichigo turned to face her. "If I did, I would have dyed my hair black."

"You're comparing blood to hair?"

Ichigo sighed. "Fine. I'll go home."

The sky was dark by the time Ichigo and Rukia made it to the clinic. Rukia was about to walk inside, when she noticed Ichigo had stopped. He stood frozen in place, placing a finger to his lips when she looked at him.

"We're being followed." He explained. "Show yourself."

A dark figure walked out from behind the neighbor's house. "How did you figure out?"

Ichigo looked at him. "You didn't do a good job at hiding it. You were literally walking a couple hundred yards right behind us for the past ten minutes."

"Maybe I wanted you to find me." The figure stepped into the light of a street lamp. He was tall and skinny, with long hair and glasses.

Ichigo seemed relieved. "Oh, it's only you. Uryü Ishida."

Uryü Ishida clenched his fists. "Why don't you shut up, and let me talk."

"What did you say!?"

"I said, shut up and let me talk." Uryü smirked and pointed to Rukia. "This girl is from East Berlin, am I wrong?"

Rukia was taken back by this. She'd never even seen this kid before. Ichigo also looked shocked.

"You don't have to answer, Kurosaki. I already know the truth." Uryü continued. "I know all about her and how..."

"Maybe it's none of your damn business, you creep." Ichigo cut in.

Uryü smirked. "Fine, I'll leave you two alone, but I must say something first."

"What?"

Uryü began to whisper. "They will try to take Rukia. Just like the men today." He started to walk away.

"Wait! Who? What? Taking her where?" Ichigo tried shouting to him, but Uryü had vanished.


End file.
